The invention relates to an air-guiding arrangement and, in particular, to an air-guiding arrangement for a vehicle as well as to a vehicle having the at least one air-guiding arrangement.
Wheel spoilers are arranged as so-called “retaining lips” in front of the wheels of a vehicle and extend approximately transversely to the travel direction. They form air-guiding arrangements which influence a portion of the airstream impinging on a vehicle. Examples of such wheel spoilers are known from European Patent documents EP 2 039 595 A1 and EP 1 674 381 A1 and German Patent Document DE 10 2011 089 074 A1. By means of the wheel spoilers, a flow around the wheels situated behind the latter and the flow through the wheel houses can be influenced, so that, for example, a reduced drag coefficient is obtained in the travel direction. In addition, the balance of the vehicle can be influenced or tuned.
From German Patent document DE 43 34 009 C1, a front-end covering for a motor vehicle is known, wherein air-guiding paths are provided which extend side-by-side in front of a respective front wheel and are curved in the vertical direction of the vehicle, a duct being formed between the air-guiding paths. The duct is oriented against the interior side of the wheel. As a result of the curvature of the respective air-guiding path, which extends convexly with respect to the road, a good aerodynamic flow around the wheel is to be achieved. The retention point of the inflow in front of the wheel is to be changed downwards in the direction of the road, whereby a high pressure in the wheel house in front of the front wheel is to be prevented. The flow through the duct in the direction of the vehicle brakes is to cause an improved brake cooling.
From German Patent document DE 10 2010 055 639 A1, a vehicle is known that has a covering in which the duct is provided in front of the respective front wheel, which duct can be shut off by way of a flap and, in the open condition, guides air to the interior side of the wheel.
From German Patent document DE 10 2010 036 442 A1, an air-guiding device on the underbody of a vehicle in front of a vehicle wheel is known, which is formed of a flexible material and consists of two half-shells that are fastened to the vehicle underbody and form a duct between them. The openings of the half-shells point to the duct. Behind these half-shells, a spoiler is provided which retains the inflowing air. In this case, the retained air penetrates from the duct into the respective half-shell through its opening and inflates the respective half-shell to form a convex structure. In this manner, a more pronounced curvature of these elements of the air-guiding device is to be achieved at high driving speeds, in order to influence the vehicle aerodynamics of the flow under the vehicle.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an air-guiding arrangement, particularly an air guiding arrangement for a vehicle, especially for a passenger car, which improves the convective heat removal at the brake components, the drag coefficient and the lift balance of a vehicle.
This and other objects are achieved by an air guiding arrangement according to embodiments of the present invention, which is arranged in the region in front of a vehicle wheel and protrudes downwards in the direction of the road. The air-guiding arrangement comprises at least one air-guiding body positioned in front of the vehicle wheel. The air-guiding body protrudes from an underbody covering part downwards in the direction of the road. A duct which is situated in the air-guiding body or on the side of the air-guiding body faces away from the exterior side of vehicle. The duct is designed for guiding flowing-in air stream in the direction of the brake system. The air-guiding body has a first retaining lip which is arranged between the air-guiding body and the vehicle wheel and which protrudes downwards in the direction of the road beyond the air-guiding body. On the side of the at least one duct pointing away from the exterior side of the vehicle, a second retaining lip is provided, so that the at least one duct comprises a gap between the first retaining lip and the second retaining lip.
The at least one duct is designed for guiding air in the direction of the brake system, so that the convective cooling of the brake components is improved. This takes place in accordance with the drag and the lift balance. By way of this arrangement, it therefore becomes possible to improve the brake cooling, and it can simultaneously contribute to optimizing the air drag and the lift balance. Such an improved air guidance in the region of the brakes can not only cause an improved cooling of the brakes and surrounding components, but, in addition, reduce the dirtying of the brakes and improve the brake response on wet conditions.
While the air-guiding body definitely is to implement a process of guiding the flow in a specific direction, the retaining lip on or behind its end has the purpose of achieving a retaining effect for the flowing-in air. This retaining effect can advantageously be used for tuning the aerodynamically generated lift of the vehicle. By way of the height of the retaining lip, a defined lift behavior can be generated. As a result, a targeted flow separation can also be generated. It is an additional advantage of a retaining lip that it can laterally protrude in a targeted manner beyond the retaining body, even if the actual retaining body has already ended.
It may also be advantageous, for the size of the retaining body to vary; for example, if a specific lift balance is to occur (larger or smaller lift). Especially a concept of mutually separated bodies offers flexibility in this case. In the case of specific vehicle configurations, for example, one body could even be completely omitted.
An embodiment is advantageous in which the at least one air-guiding body, the at least one retaining lip and the at least one duct are designed as an integral component.
It is also advantageous for the at least one air-guiding body and the first retaining lip to be designed as an integral component, the second retaining lip being a component that is spatially separated therefrom.
Preferably, the at least one air-guiding body, the first retaining lip and the second retaining lip are designed as an integral component.
An embodiment is preferable, in which a second air-guiding body is provided on the side of the at least one duct that points away from the exterior side of the vehicle, which second air-guiding body protrudes downwards from the underbody covering part in the direction of the road, and the second retaining lip is arranged in the travel direction behind the second air-guiding body or on its rearward end and protrudes downwards in the direction of the road beyond the second air-guiding body.
In this case, it is advantageous for the first air-guiding body and the first retaining lip to be designed as a first integral component, and for the second air-guiding body and the second retaining lip to be designed as a second integral component.
The first integral component is preferably arranged in a spatially separated fashion from the second integral component, the at least one duct being constructed between the first integral component and the second integral component.
As an alternative, the first integral component, the second integral component and the at least one duct may be constructed as a single component, with the at least one duct being constructed between the first integral component and the second integral component.
In another embodiment of the invention, the at least one duct further has a ramp which extends from a front side of the vehicle toward the gap.
In this case, an advantageous further development is characterized in that the ramp is formed in an underbody part of the vehicle. As an alternative, the ramp can be integrally constructed in the air-guiding device.
An embodiment of the invention is particularly advantageous, in which a height and/or a width of the duct increases in the direction toward the vehicle wheel.
It is also advantageous for the at least one duct to have a NACA profile.
The air-guiding arrangement is preferably constructed as a one-piece component.
According to a further aspect, a vehicle, particularly a passenger car, is indicated which has the above-described air-guiding arrangement. The at least one air-guiding arrangement is arranged in the region in front of a vehicle wheel and protrudes downwards in the direction of the road.
Preferably, the at least one air-guiding arrangement is constructed in one piece with a wheel housing cover of the vehicle.
According to the embodiments described here, the air-guiding arrangement improves the convective heat removal at the brake components, the drag coefficient and the lift balance.
The air-guiding arrangement may have a modular or partially modular construction or it may be constructed completely as an integral component or it may even be constructed as an integral component with the entire assigned wheel housing cover of the vehicle.
The air-guiding arrangement or its components may consist of a flexible material which does not deform or deforms only very slightly when acted upon by fluid-mechanical forces. However, in the case of a mechanical contact load, which may occur, for example, when driving up or down a curb, the material may permit elastic deformations. Plastic materials of a Shore hardness of 60 to 80, have been found to be well suitable.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.